Better Than Heaven
by amzer
Summary: *CHAPTER 8 ADDED 1-19-02* AU. B/A. Sequel to 'Unforgivable Mistake.' Buffy's has a new life in LA, but her heart still belongs to someone old.
1. Fresh Start-The Prologue

Title: Chocolate Chip- Chapter 1 of 'Better than Heaven'  
  
Also the Epilogue to 'Unforgivable Mistake.'  
  
Summary: Buffy's life without Angel.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Date written: 11-19-01, Rewritten 11-24-01  
  
AU: In my universe, Tara and Willow never got mad at each other and didn't have a big fight. Giles stayed in Sunnydale for a while longer. Oh, and a soul doesn't make up a person's personality.  
  
A/N: This is the end of "Unforgivable Mistake." But, this is also the first chapter of "Better than Heaven."  
  
Read and Enjoy!  
  
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It was about two in the afternoon, and a small blonde woman in her mid- twenties began her cool-down stretches after her daily T'ai Chi workout. There was soft, soothing music coming from the stereo- one of Sara McLachlan's old songs, "Angel." She gently sang the words to herself as she continued to stretch. The lyrics seemed so reflective of her life.  
  
  
  
((Spend all your time waiting for that second chance. For the break that would make it OK. There's always one reason to feel not good enough, and it's hard at the end of the day.))  
  
She finished her stretches and sat down on the nearby couch. As soothing as the T'ai Chi might be, it brought back memories of her lost love. Her beloved had taught her T'ai Chi almost six years ago. The song continued in the background.  
  
((. let me be empty, oh and weightless and maybe I'll find some peace tonight. Here in the arms of an angel fly away from here. From this dark cold hotel room and the endlessness that you fear. You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie. You're in the arms of the angel may you find some comfort there. ))  
  
Small tears began to form around her eyes. They always came when she thought of him. It had been three years since she had watched him die in her arms, but the memories were still vivid of that day and the days following.  
  
They had held a proper funeral service for Angel, considering that he died human. All of her friends had come to LA; Willow, Tara, Dawn, Giles, Xander and Anya had come from Sunnydale. Oz drove down from Seattle, where he had been exploring the club scene with his band. The entire event had been so painful for Buffy that she confined herself to Angel's old room, taking care of the baby.  
  
Darla had gone insane when she saw all the love and support Buffy had. She couldn't help but think that that could've been hers, she could've had a baby who loved her. The pain ripped through Darla like nothing had before and it drove her into madness. One day, without anyone noticing, she had stood by the window in the baby's room and waited for the sun to rise. It did, as always, and with it came her death.  
  
Wesley had later discovered the reason of Angel's death. While that was no consolation to her, it did provide some answers. When Angel saw his son for the first time, it gave him a true moment of happiness. He now had a family, something he never thought possible. While it took away his soul, it also gave him life simultaneously. He had brought a pure and innocent life into the world. But these two events brought with them his death. A human can't live without a soul. Even the most evil person in the world has a soul, they just choose to ignore it.  
  
Buffy was brought back to the present when a little boy burst through the door of the small, white, house that was still littered with moving boxes.  
  
"Hey mommy!" he yelled as he jumped into her arms.  
  
The three-year old had dark brown hair and deep chocolate eyes, just like his father. He was a little shy around strangers and had mastered his puppy- dog eyes by the age of two.  
  
"Hey Manning, how was your first day of preschool?" Buffy asked, sitting the little boy down on her lap.  
  
"It was fun mommy. Mr. Matthew is funny." He said with a smile.  
  
"Hey Buffy, sorry to interrupt. I just can't keep up with him when he runs!" Cordelia said, after she had caught her breath.  
  
"Oh that's OK. Thanks for picking him up, Cordy."  
  
"No problem. Well, I have to leave. I'll pick'em up again tomorrow. Bye."  
  
"Bye Cordelia." Buffy waved as Cordy headed out the door.  
  
"Bye Bye Cordeldy-uh." Manning responded.  
  
Cordy had been great these past couple of week. She had helped them pick out a house and then move in, and now she was even picking Manning up from preschool. Buffy had never imagined what a good person Cordelia could be. She thought that Angel's death had changed her personality a lot, though.  
  
"Mommy, were you crying again?" Manning asked, looking up at his mom.  
  
"No sweetie, why would you think that?" Buffy asked, trying to hide the tears.  
  
"Because I can see your tears, mommy. You were thinking about daddy." For being so young, he picked up on everything. He could tell that Buffy had been crying because he had seen her like that many times before. He didn't fully understand why, but he knew that, around the time he got a lot of presents, he always saw his mommy with a sad look on her face and tears in her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I was thinking about Daddy. You know he loved you very, very much." She said, holding back more tears.  
  
Buffy couldn't help but see Angel every time she looked at Manning. His full name was Manning Alexander Summers. Manning was old English for 'Son of the Hero.' When she read the name in the baby book she knew that was what she had to call him. He was the son of the hero, her hero, Angel. Alexander was a harder choice. It was Greek for Helper and Defender of Mankind. He was almost Manning Liam after his father. Liam was Irish for Unwavering Protector. As much as she liked the idea of "Son of the Hero and Unwavering Protector," she didn't want her son to go through all of the teasing that would come with a name like Manning Liam. Having a mom named 'Buffy' would be odd enough.  
  
"I know, mommy."  
  
"I just wish that he could see you. I wish that you could see him. You look just like him, you know."  
  
Buffy would do anything if she just had one picture of Angel. She never was able to take pictures of them while he was a vampire, and he was only alive for a matter of seconds. The whole principal behind a camera was based on mirrors, and vampires didn't have a reflection.  
  
/If I had one picture of Angel to show him, to show him what his daddy looked like. It would make him seem more like a real person, not just someone he'd heard about in stories. He has no memory of Angel. /  
  
"Hey, Manning, do you wanna go get some ice cream?" She said, trying to lighten the mood. There was something about ice cream, though, that always make her heart pang. She couldn't put a finger on it, but she knew that for some reason it gave her warm feeling, comforting feeling inside. She wished that her memory was as obliging as her soul.  
  
"YAY!" Manning gave his mom a BIG hug.  
  
"Now, go and clean up first!" The little boy ran off her mother's lap to the bathroom.  
  
Buffy just moved to LA. There was no point for her being in Sunnydale anymore, since she had recently lost her slaying powers. She decided to move to LA where she could start a fresh, new, slay-free life. Dawn had a life in Sunnydale, though- one Buffy didn't make her leave. Buffy knew first hand how hard it can be to re-adjust your entire life, especially in high school. Dawn decided to stay with Willow and Tara until she went to college.  
  
When Manning was few months, Buffy could tell her punches weren't as sharp and her jump was a bit lower. Giles didn't know why she was losing her strength, but a Slayer had never been a mother before. None had ever lived long enough. Between being a mother and a Slayer, though, she could no longer be a student. She worked in a fitness center to provide for her sister and son, and taught some of the more advanced training classes. She just found new job as another fitness trainer at a local gym in LA, teaching aerobic exercises and a little martial arts. While she wasn't her old self, she was still stronger and more agile than everyone else. She had to be very careful when she taught, not to over do herself or her class.  
  
Manning ran back at Buffy, ready to go get some ice cream.  
  
"So what kind of ice cream do you want?" She asked as she took Manning's hand and headed out of the door.  
  
"I dunno, chocolate chip?" He said, looking up at her as they were leaving.  
  
Buffy and Manning were halfway down the street when something was slipped under the door. It was a piece of paper- a picture- of Angel. He was smiling. There was a new, bright, lively tint in his skin. His eyes had a sparkle to them and his lips were full of color. The back of the picture had handwriting on it. It was a poem. It read-  
  
To my Son and my Beloved-  
  
Remember me when I am gone away,  
  
Gone far into the silent land;  
  
When you can no longer hold me by the hand,  
  
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.  
  
Remember me when no more day by day  
  
You tell me of our future that you planned:  
  
Only remember me; you understand  
  
It will be late to counsel then or pray.  
  
Yet if you should forget me for a while  
  
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:  
  
For if the darkness and corruption leave  
  
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,  
  
Better by far you should forget and smile  
  
Than that you should remember and be sad.  
  
  
  
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A/N: Well, you wanted a sequel, and you got one. Hope you like.  
  
The poem is "Remember," by Christina Georgina Rossetti. 


	2. Ice Cream Independence

Title: Chocolate Chip  
  
Chapter: 2  
  
Author: Andra Marie  
  
Distribution: If you want it, just ask.  
  
Rating -for this chapter:G Entire story: PG  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Manning. I created him, yadda yadda yadda. He's all mine!  
  
Summary: AU. Some ice cream is had. Nothing much else.  
  
Setting: This is the sequel to my story "Unforgivable Mistake." It picks up where it left off. You have to read it to understand this. Chapter one of this story is also the epilogue to UM.  
  
A/N: Feedback is a must. This sequel is dedicated to all B/A shipper fans, but even if you're not, you'll still like this (hopefully).  
  
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Buffy sat outside the ice cream shop at a small table with Manning, soaking in the sun's rays. Her hair was in a long, high ponytail; she didn't have a lot of time to worry about her looks. She watched her son attempt to eat his chocolate ice cream, but most of it was all over his face. She had to try to save his shirt from a sugary death, so she picked up a few napkins and gently wiped off his face.  
  
"Hey Buffy!" A familiar voice came from down the street. It was Cordy, who had a rather angry look on her face.  
  
"Hey Cordy. I though that you had somewhere to be." Buffy replied, looking at her quizzically.  
  
"Yeah, well, I thought I was meeting Jackson- that guy I was telling you about, the one I met at the club. Well, as soon as I got there, he called my cell and said he couldn't make it. Something about work. Can you believe he didn't show? On ME?" She was very annoyed. Although she had made major improvements on her personality, she still had some room to grow. She didn't quite understand why any man would want to do anything other than date her.  
  
"Well, I'm sure he had something very important to do." She said, trying to cheer Cordelia up.  
  
"Yeah, hopefully life or death." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.  
  
"You know you're welcome to eat some ice cream with us, right Manning?"  
  
"Wight." Manning stated, still very wrapped up in his ice cream.  
  
Buffy smiled and pulled over a seat. Cordelia put her purse down on the table and sat down, relaxing.  
  
Manning smiled in triumph as he looked down at his now empty ice cream cup.  
  
"Mommy, can I have more ice cream?" he said, employing his puppy-dog eyes to the best of his ability.  
  
Buffy looked at her son's eyes and knew she just couldn't say know.  
  
"Well, OK. But only because it was your first day of preschool." She said reluctantly. She got up to take him inside, but he shook his head no at her.  
  
"What's the matter?" She raised an eyebrow at her little boy  
  
"I wanna go by myself!" He said sticking out his hand.  
  
"You want to order by yourself?" She said, worried. She new her little boy was growing up, but she was still worried about him doing things by himself.  
  
"Yup." He said as he nodded his head up and down.  
  
'Well, I suppose so. Now here's the money." She reached into her bag and pulled out a few dollar bills, "And ask for one scoop of chocolate chip," she finished, placing the money in his tiny hand. She knew that he would only be inside, and she could see him through the glass windows, but she still worried. She always worried. She knew of all of the bad things and people inhabiting this dimension, and she wanted to do everything she could to protect him. But she needed to let him grow and learn on his own. Someday he would grow up and move out, but for now she was just trying to let him buy ice cream on his own.  
  
"So how is your non-existent love life?" Cordelia joked, while Buffy still looked at Manning through the windows.  
  
"It's going great. At the rate I'm going now, I'm going to be an old spinster who stays in their house all day." She replied, trying to joke her way off the subject. There was no way the Buffy though she was ready to date again. She had tried too early after Angel had left for the very first time. She had learned (unfortunately from experience) that it would take her wounds a long time to heal, and she wasn't in any really hurry to date anyway. There aren't a whole lot of guys interested in single mothers.  
  
"C'mon, Buffy, it's been three years since you've had a real date." She said, giving her a glare and turning her tone slightly serious.  
  
"But there aren't that many guys who want to jump right in and be dads. And I don't want some to come in Manning's life and then leave." Buffy looked down at her ice cream, which was almost all gone, but now melting.  
  
"OK, I realize that, so I won't push. But you should at least consider it." Cordy ended the conversation there. She knew how much it hurt Buffy to try to move on. The last thing she needed was to be hurt again, and that usually happened in Buffy's relationships.  
  
Manning returned with a cup of ice cream in one hand and some wadded up money in the other.  
  
"Here mommy." He handed Buffy the wad of bills, which she discovered was also sticky.  
  
She lay the money down on the table. Manning climbed back into his chair and started in on the second cup. He was completely wrapped up in picking out the chocolate chips.  
  
"Well, I have to get going." Cordy voiced, looking at her watch. "I have an audition in a few hours, and I have to find the perfect outfit."  
  
She stood up and collected her purse.  
  
"Oh, Cordy, I almost forgot. I can pick up Manning next week. I don't have to work." Buffy almost yelled as Cordy was turning to leave.  
  
"OK, I'll have to find some other way to get my quality Manning time" Cordy replied with a big and almost wicked smile on her face.  
  
"Fine."  
  
Cordelia turned and walked off down the sidewalk. Manning was almost done with his ice cream. Buffy decided he could eat the rest on the way home.  
  
"You ready to go? You can eat the rest in the car on the way home." She tilted her head to the side and glanced at her son.  
  
"Alwight." He jumped down off her chair. His mother picked her bag and took his hand as she led them to the car. Buffy safely buckled him into the back seat, then got into the driver's seat and looked around for her keys. After they were found in the bottom of her bag, she started the engine and drove home.  
  
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**A/N: OK, so a lot didn't happen in this chapter. I felt like I needed to set everything up, though. But just hold your horses, cause this is going to take a while to develop. Probably longer than the Prequel. DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A REVIEW! 


	3. First Impressions

Title: First Impressions  
  
Chapter: 3  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Summary: AU. Buffy picks Manning up from preschool and meets someone "new." The summary sounds kind of boring. But maybe you think this chapter is. The story will seem more interesting as a whole, not by each individual chapter.  
  
Author: Andra Marie  
  
Disclaimer: Manning's mine, sorta. But I don't really own anything, since that takes money, and people these days aren't respectin Geoffery Dollars.  
  
A/N: NEVER forget that this is AU. And don't make assumptions according to your shipperness. That goes for this and the next chapter.  
  
Oh, and I'm sorry that this took so long to write. I wanted to write it sooner, I just don't really have the time. And I wish that it were a little longer, too.  
  
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Buffy got back to her new house. It wasn't really a home yet, since it had barely been lived in and there were boxes seemingly coming out of every wall. She unlocked the door and laid her keys on the table near the door. She didn't notice a piece of paper slip under the table after she accidentally kicked it. Manning followed behind her. For once he was actually tired and ready for his nap. Although Buffy knew it was odd for him to be tired after having all that sugar, he must've just had a hard first day. She picked her son up in her arms, with his arms wrapped around her neck. After kicking a few boxes to the side, she took him into his room and put him in bed. Buffy slowly walked out of the room and shut the door gently behind her.  
  
An hour later, Buffy went back into Manning's room to check on him. He was fast asleep, lying on his back and holding on to his pillow.  
  
/He looks so beautiful and peaceful. /  
  
She stood in the doorway, trying to etch that image of him in her mind forever. She gently walked over to the side of the bed, trying not to wake him. Crouching down beside his bed, Buffy ran her hand over his head, smoothing his hair. She loved him so much. She now understood how her own mother must have felt. There was no way she could've handled herself all that her mother had gone through. The thought of any harm coming to her son was scary and frightening. Knowing the he was in mortal danger every day of his life would have torn her to pieces. She didn't know how her mother did it.  
  
Buffy could feel some tears coming on and she didn't want to wake her child up. After planting a gentle kiss on his forehead, she left her son's bedroom and headed to her own. In the very top of her closet, she found a large book- a photo album. She carried it to her bed and curled up with her blankets. On each page held precious memories: a picture of herself, her mother and Dawn on a pick-nick; her best friends, Willow and Xander; a picture of Manning when he was just two days old.  
  
After she finished looking through the whole book, she closed it and held it tight to her chest. After a few moments, she drifted asleep, letting her dreams take over.  
  
  
  
~A Week Later~  
  
/Oh God. I'm going to be late. Great first impression- be the last one to pick up your child. /  
  
Buffy jumped into the car and sped toward the preschool. After narrowly missing a few pedestrians and 'almost' running a stop sign, she arrived at the Solee Pre-Kindergarten Academy.  
  
/Why can't they just call it preschool anymore? People like to make thing so complicated these days. /  
  
She had arrived there on time (barely) and saw the other parents standing in the doorway as she walked in.  
  
She followed them down the hall, hanging in the back of the pack. They made it to a large room filled with toddlers. The rest of the parents headed straight to their children, but Buffy didn't see Manning anywhere. A small, older woman noticed her searching and approached her.  
  
"Hello, may I help you?" she asked with a warm smile.  
  
"Yes, I hope. I'm looking for my son, Manning." She was still looking throughout the large room.  
  
"Oh, so you're Manning's mother. We've been waiting to meet you. Your son is darling."  
  
"Thanks, I guess he takes after his father." /I shouldn't have said that. Just leads to more questions. / "So, where is he?"  
  
"He's in the back with Matthew. Manning seems to like him a lot. The seem to have taken to each other." She pointed past a bookshelf, which separated a small section in the back from the rest of the room.  
  
"Oh."  
  
/He's taking to a teacher, not another kid. That's cool, though. I mean, I spent most of my school days hanging out in the library with Giles. But then again, I could speak in complete sentences, too. /  
  
She walked back there, glancing at some of the fathers interacting with their cons and daughters.  
  
/Angel would've been a wonderful father. He would have loved Manning so much. /  
  
She peeked around the bookcase and found her son playing with a toy plane. There was a man facing him, presumably Matthew, with his back to her. Something about him looked familiar.  
  
"Mommy!" he yelled, and ran to Buffy. He wrapped himself around her leg.  
  
"Hey little man." Buffy reached down and picked him up. She gave him a big hug.  
  
Matthew stood up slowly. He put away the plane and then turned around to meet Manning's mother. He'd hope to meet her sooner. Only a good person could have a son as wonderful as Manning.  
  
"Hi. I'm Matthew. You must be Mrs. Summers." He extended his hand towards Buffy, but she didn't move. She just stood there, speechless.  
  
/How could he be here? And not even know me? And MATTHEW? Ohmigawd. /  
  
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More A/N: I suppose this is a little cliff-hanger-y, huh? Oh well, the next chapter should be rather interesting. Hope you liked this. DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE ME A REVIEW!!!! PLEASE?!?! Pretty please with cherries on top? 


	4. Discovered

Title: Discovered  
  
Chapter: 4  
  
Author: Andra Marie  
  
Email: angel_chic101@hotmail.com  
  
Summary: Buffy discovers the identity of her son's new teacher.  
  
Rating- Chapter: PG Story: PG  
  
Disclaimer: I don't anything (Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, The WB, UPN), except I made up Manning.  
  
A/N: Now remember, you must keep an open mind, and don't make assumptions! Whether you like it or not, you MUST LEAVE A REVIEW!  
  
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"R---R---Riley?"  
  
The last she had heard he was somewhere in the middle of nowhere in some government-run demon-fighting posse. There was no way it could be him, though, because there was no way he could NOT know her.  
  
"Uh--- Excuse me? I'm Matthew Loudon."  
  
"Oh sorry. You just remind me of someone I know-errr- used to know."  
  
/C'mon Buffy. All this time outside that's NOT at night or in a graveyard must be getting to ya. It's just a close resemblance, that's all. I mean, if it was him, he would have the. /  
  
Matthew ran his hands through his hair nervously. Then he let his strong, tan arms dangle loosely by his side. Just then, Buffy noticed a small scar on Matthew's arm- one that looked like a teeth print- a fang print. It wasn't a coincidence that someone who just happened to look like her ex also had his vamp print on his arm. No, because coincidences don't happen to Buffy Summers.  
  
/Oh My God. It is him. It's Riley. The same hazel eyes, the same sandy hair. But he doesn't know you, so you've got to just play it cool. Be calm. Be nonchalant. /  
  
"So, that's a pretty wicked scar on your arm. How'd you get it?"  
  
"It was a dog bite. Pretty vicious dog, huh? Too bad I don't actually remember the dog. It would make the story a whole lot more interesting."  
  
Buffy needed to leave. She wanted to know what had happened to Riley, but it was obvious that talking to him wasn't getting anywhere. He didn't remember a thing.  
  
"Well, I've got to go home and put Manning down for his nap."  
  
She gave the child holding on to her boost.  
  
"It was nice meeting you." Matthew said, in a hopeful tone. He had wanted to get to know her better. When he first saw her, she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.  
  
"You too." With that, Buffy turned and walked away from her last real boyfriend, whom she hadn't seen in about four years.  
  
  
  
  
  
After putting Manning to sleep at least for the time being, Buffy shut the door to her room and picked up the phone. After dialing numbers she knew by heart, another familiar voice picked up at the end of the line.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Will. It's me."  
  
"Oh hey Buffy! Long time no talking! So how are things in LA?" Willow's voice perked up. She hadn't talked to Buffy in what seemed like ages, and wanted to know the scoop on LA and her godson.  
  
"Things are good. But that's not why I called."  
  
"Oh. What's up? Something's up, I can tell." She was getting ready for the worst, some big evil doer that had popped up in LA. The whole 'Buffy's not the Slayer' thing was hadn't completely sunken in yet.  
  
"It's Riley."  
  
There was a pause at the other end of the line.  
  
"You mean 'vampire- popsicle who ran off to be a commando again' Riley?" Willow was becoming more interested and dumbfounded by the second.  
  
"That's the one. I found him. I mean, I met him. He is a teacher at Manning's new preschool."  
  
"So how did he take seeing you again?"  
  
"That's just it, Will. He didn't take it, at all. He didn't know who I was. He said his name was Matthew Loudon."  
  
"Are you sure it was him? I mean it could be someone who, you know."  
  
Buffy interrupted her.  
  
"I'm sure. I saw his scar from the vamp he paid on his arm."  
  
"Oh." Willow didn't know what to say. Buffy's brainwashed ex-boyfriend shows up as one of her son's teachers?  
  
"I want you to do something for me."  
  
"Sure, Buffy, no problem. What is it?" Willow was eager to help. It had been a while since she had gone into Scooby Gang-mode and she was beginning to miss it.  
  
"Can you go through some of the government's and Initiative's files to see what ever happened to the Belize thing? Maybe they tampered with his memory?"  
  
Buffy really hoped that Willow could find out what was up with Riley.  
  
"Sure! I can hack into the government's files!" The whole thought of breaking into some top-secret files sounded like fun for Willow. She was now in grad school (still at UC Sunnydale), which didn't involve much illegal computer work.  
  
"Thanks so much Will!" Maybe the government did something to him. They had already put a chip in his chest, and she wouldn't put it past them to do it again. She wasn't sure what they were completely capable of.  
  
"No prob."  
  
"Well, anyway, how's Dawn doing?"  
  
"She's good. I mean, she's totally diving into this whole 'senior year' thing. A lot more than we did, but then again we had the Mayor and Faith and Ang-"  
  
Willow stopped herself before she could finish.  
  
"Yeah. We had big issues back then. Is she there?"  
  
"No, she's over at a friend's house."  
  
"Tell her that I called and that I miss her."  
  
"Will do."  
  
"Well, I should go. I think Manning will be up soon."  
  
"OK. I'll call when I find something."  
  
"Bye Buffy."  
  
"Bye. It was really good to talk to you again."  
  
Buffy hung up and took a big, deep breath.  
  
/I hope she finds something soon. /  
  
It was just so odd to see him again, especially the way they had left things. But none of that mattered, since he didn't have a clue who she was. She sat on her bed, waiting on her little boy to awake from his nap.  
  
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A/N: Now people, before you get your panties in a bundle (unless you are a big ole Riley/Buffy shipper), don't get mad over the whole 'Angel' thing. Notice that the genre is still 'Drama,' not 'Romance (even though it MAY be later on).' I promise that, sooner or later, this thing may just have a happy ending (unless you're a Spike fan).  
  
Don't forget to leave a review!!!! 


	5. The Beginning of Nothing

Title: The Beginning of Nothing  
  
Chapter 4 of "Better Than Heaven"  
  
Warning: I writing this now, but just beware that I'm pretty junked up on cold medicine, and this might not be my best work.  
  
A/N: I'll probably be adding many new chapter soon, since my Christmas break starts Friday and I'll have a lot of free time on my hands.  
  
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Buffy picked Manning up from preschool for the rest of the week. It was odd, though, to see Riley, but not SEE Riley. What could have happened to him: amnesia or military chips or traumatic shock? She would walk in and find her son playing with Matthew in the same spot in the back. There would be a lot of odd glances and pauses, at least on Buffy's part. Even though he wasn't exactly the boy she had almost fallen in love with four years ago, he still had the same sincere eyes and protective gestures that made her want to be with him in the first place.  
  
/Maybe it's better for him this way, not to remember the pain or the loss. Sometimes I wish I didn't remember some things; that may have been for the better. If I forgot some things, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much. /  
  
Friday afternoon came, and Buffy went to pick her little boy up. It would be the last time in awhile- her classes started again next week and Cordelia would pick him up.  
  
Buffy found Matthew and Manning in their little part of the room. Manning seemed so happy when he was with Matthew.  
  
/Manning doesn't have a father figure. I suppose he's just trying to find one himself. God knows I'm not getting one for him anytime soon. /  
  
Matthew gave Buffy a nervous glance he saw her.  
  
"Hey little man." Buffy kneeled down to Manning and gave him a kiss on the forehead.  
  
"Hi Buffy." Matthew dug his hands into his pockets.  
  
"Hey R-Matthew. I guess this is the last I'll time I'm gonna be seeing you."  
  
"Yeah, I suppose, unless you want to-"  
  
"Want to what?"  
  
"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner sometime. With me. I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner with me."  
  
Buffy's first thoughts screamed 'NO.' Go out on a date with your ex- boyfriend who you let run off to the jungle and now doesn't remember anything? Sounds like fun. But maybe if she went, she might learn more about him, see what he actually does remember.  
  
So, against her better judgment, she said 'yes,' and was scheduled to have dinner at some Italian restaurant on the next night at eight.  
  
/Geeze, what have you gotten yourself into now? But hey, maybe it'll be good for you, getting out and about. /  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was 7:38 on Saturday night, and Buffy was applying the finishing touches to her make up. She heard the doorbell ring, and screamed 'It's Open,' to her visitor.  
  
"Hey Buffy! Where's my favorite little boy?" Cordelia shouted from the doorway.  
  
The footsteps of the little boy littered the halls, followed by a squeal of delight as he was being lifted into Cordelia's arm.  
  
"Hey little man, how are you?" Cordelia gave his tiny nose a tickle.  
  
"Hi Cordeeldy-uh."  
  
"Hey Cordelia. Thanks so much for watching him for such short notice." Buffy walked down the hall toward her son and Cordelia, her hands around the back of her neck latching her necklace.  
  
"No problem. Jackson hasn't called me in a week. A week! Can you believe that?" Cordelia's voice was getting louder and higher. She probably would have been making huge hand gestures, except she needed both hands to hold up Manning.  
  
"Yeah, well, some guys are just like that."  
  
"So, when's Riley coming? I've heard way to much about him to not know him." She was changing the subject to pull herself away from another rant about men.  
  
"First of all, his name's Matthew now. And should be here around eight."  
  
"Whatever his name is, I'm still looking forward to meeting 'Mister Strong, Studly Iowa." She gave Buffy a sly, inquisitive look and set Manning to the ground.  
  
Cordelia followed Manning into the living room, which had a little more room to live in now, since Buffy had had time to unpack that week. Buffy went back into her room to finish her hair.  
  
"How are things on the acting front?" Buffy yelled from her bedroom.  
  
After Angel had died, Cordelia stopped getting her visions. Without Angel, what was the point of the visions? The one sent to help wasn't there anymore. Wesley, Cordelia, Fred, and Gunn had tried to continue on without him, but it had become fruitless. Four mere humans, no matter how much experience they possessed, couldn't hold together enough to take on the more dangerous aspects that the job entailed.  
  
Wesley and Gunn started out working out Caritas, but eventually, the Host made them full-time employees, almost partners. While without the thrills and spills of Angel Investigations, they could still keep a tab on the doings of the underworld. Angel's death drove Fred back into a corner of her world that she had tried so hard to flee from. She tried to stay in LA for a little while, but she now had no room to lock herself into. She moved back to Texas to live with her parents.  
  
Without the visions to interfere with her regular life, she now needed an everyday job to fit a normal life. She started the acting bit again, landing a few minor jobs here and there, but still not getting her 'big break.'  
  
"It's OK. I have another audition next week."  
  
  
  
  
  
The doorbell rang at 7:56. Cordelia eagerly answered the door. There stood Riley, in a long-sleeve black shirt that seemed to cling to his chest and outline his muscles, and a pair of your usual khaki pants.  
  
"Hi. I'm Matthew. is Buffy here?"  
  
"Yeah, she should be out in a minute. I'm Cordelia." Cordelia had a big smile on her face as she gave Matthew the once over.  
  
/He's good, raw material, but a little to down-on-the-farm for my tastes. But hey, whatever rocks the dock./  
  
"I'm Matthew." He said, but his attention was soon diverted by a small blonde figure walking slowly down the hall. Buffy was wearing a dark brown silk halter-top with camel colored leather pants. Her hair hung perfectly straight down her back.  
  
"Hey Matthew." Buffy added a small, nervous smile.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"I see you've already met Cordelia."  
  
"Yeah, we were just introducing ourselves, until I my mouth sort of stopped working when you walked in." There was something about Buffy that just drove him wild. She seemed.well, different then other women he had met, yet eerily familiar.  
  
"Oh." Flattery was good, it just made her a bit nervous, though.  
  
"Well, I guess we better be going."  
  
Buffy grabbed her coat and gave a few last minute instructions to Cordelia.  
  
"He has to be in be early. And don't let him have too much sugar." she clamored as she headed out the door.  
  
"Don't worry about us! We'll be fine! And we're going to talk when you get back!" Cordelia shouted as Buffy headed to Matthew's car. She couldn't wait to know more of what happened with Iowa boy.  
  
She slowly climbed into Matthew's car, and embarked on a very interesting night with someone she used to know. 


	6. *Sparkless*

Chapter 5 of 'Better Than Heaven'  
  
"Sparkless"  
  
A/N: Sorry this took so long, but with Christmas Break and everything, I haven't really had the time. Plus, I'm starting a new fic.  
  
DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A REVIEW!  
  
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Buffy slowly shut the door behind her, and let out a long sigh. She leaned against the door for a few more seconds, trying to digest the past few hours. She walked into the living room and found a sight she probably never would have envisioned. Cordelia and Manning were on the couch, both asleep. Cordelia's head was resting on an outstretched arm, while the other arm was wrapped around Manning, who had evidently fallen asleep on her lap.  
  
Buffy slowly walked over to her son and picked him up. She carried him gently into his warm, trying not to wake him up. After tucking him into his own bed, she walked back into the living room, where Cordy had woken up.  
  
"Hey Buffy. Sorry,we were just--- I guess we just fell asleep," Cordelia rubbed her eyes and slowly stood up.  
  
"It's fine. I put him to bed."  
  
"So what time is it?" she asked with a yawn.  
  
"Late. It's late."  
  
"But not to late for you to tell me what happened on you date with soldier- boy." She eagerly sat down, awaiting the details of Buffy's date.  
  
"Ex-soldier boy. And it was really a date, per-say. If you wondering if anything happened, the answer is an astounding 'NO.' There was absolutely nothing between us."  
  
"Doesn't sound like much fun."  
  
"It wasn't bad. Just no sparks, that's all." Buffy sat in the chair adjacent to the couch.  
  
"So, more importantly, what does he remember?"  
  
"Not much. Nothing about being in the Marines, or the Initiative, Adam, or me. He just said he went to UC-Sunnydale."  
  
"So I'm guessing no future dates planned with Riley or Matthew or Whoever?"  
  
"None whatsoever. Besides, I don't want Manning to get to attached to him. He should just be someone who works in his preschool, that's all." Buffy thought of the little boy asleep a few rooms away. She knew what it was like to have a missing father. After her mother had died, he was nowhere to be found. He had run off to Spain with his secretary.  
  
"You know, I think I better be going home." Cordy said as she got up off the couch.  
  
"You can stay here."  
  
"No, but thanks for the offer." She grabbed her coat and walked out headed towards the door.  
  
"Bye. I'll pick him up Monday."  
  
"Bye Cordy. Thanks again!"  
  
She shut the door behind Cordelia and went to her own bedroom. After changing into her PJ's, she climbed into bed and tried to go to sleep. Instead, all of th evenings events played back through her mind. Riley had been so sweet- a complete gentlemen. He had taken her to a nice little Italian restaurant, where he opened doors for her and pulled out her chair. It had been a long time since she had been treated like that, and it felt good and comforting. He was so great that part of her wished that she still had some feelings for him, but her heart belonged to someone else. She knew, though, that someday she would have to move on. He was gone, and all of her hoping and dreaming couldn't change that. She finally drifted off, letting her subconscious take over.  
  
"Angel?" She couldn't believe her eyes. He was here, standing right in front of her.  
  
"Is it really you?"  
  
"It's me, Buffy. I'm right here." He took her hands in his.  
  
"But you left. I thought you left me." She said, running her hand down the side of his face. It felt so  
  
good to be able to touch him again. She missed the feeling of her his skin under hers.  
  
"I could never leave you." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. It felt so good to be back with  
  
her.   
  
*************************************************  
  
/Where---where am I? /  
  
He was cold, and could feel a needle sticking into his right arm. He heard a small beep coming from somewhere. He went to move his arm, but all he could muster was a slight wiggle in the fingers. His head was throbbing. Slowly, he began to open his eyes. Everything was blurry at first. The room was dark, and slowly coming into focus. He was in the hospital, with wires sticking him everywhere. There was a heart monitor off to his left, which was showing his heart beat.  
  
/ I have a heart beat. That means---I'm alive. /  
  
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More A/N: Read the whole story at my website: http://expage.com/page/baff  
  
Email me: angel_chic101@hotmail.com 


	7. Awake

Title: Awake  
  
Chapter: 6  
  
Story: Better Than Heaven  
  
A/N: Sorry it took so long to write this chapter. I've been working on my other fic, plus I'm back in school (I miss Winter Break!). This week I had a HUGE Honors English test on Romeo and Juliet, plus I was sick on Tuesday Plus a Snowday Monday ( Actually, I have already written the last chapter of this story- I just have to write the ones in between now. Not sure if I'm going to write a sequel to it, though. If I do, I guess it makes this a Series.  
  
Feedback: PLEASE? You can't ask for a new chapter, and then not review! That would just be rude, you know.  
  
Email: angel_chic101@hotmail.com  
  
My Fanfic Website: http://expage.com/page/baff  
  
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/Oh God. My head. Hurts. I can almost feel the throbbing up against my skull. My eyelids are so heavy, it seems like I can only get them half open. /  
  
Angel remained still, wincing ever so often as the hospital bed lifted his head and shoulders upwards. Footsteps outside caused him to slowly roll his head towards the door. A short, rather plump nurse made her way over to the foot of the bed, filling in the charts attached.  
  
"Err---whe---whe---." Angel let out an exasperated breath, but he couldn't seem to make any words.  
  
"So, you're awake now." She said with a polite smile. "You've been asleep for a long while now, almost three weeks." She talked about it like it was no big deal.  
  
"A---C---c--- coma?" Angel managed.  
  
"Nope." She said, shaking her head, "Just asleep. That was what was so unusual. You weren't in a coma or anything, just asleep. Every time someone tried to wake you up, you'd mumble something about a bunny and go back to sleep." She added with a little laugh.  
  
/ Not a bunny, Buffy. And our baby. /  
  
The nurse continued to scurry around him, checking numbers on all the machines he was attached to. She finally returned the charts to their place at the end of the bed.  
  
"Whe---where--- Where am I?" That was the most Angel had gotten out.  
  
"Well, you're in the hospital, which you've probably realized, in LA. Someone found you in an alley unconscious and brought you here. I should go tell the doctor that you're awake now." As she hurried off, Angel was thinking of ways to get out. If he stayed, there would most definitely be questions, like your name, social security number, and insurance, none of which he had. He wanted to be all manly, like in the movies, where they just ripped the IV out of the arm and marched out, but thought the better of it. He'd be happy if he could make it to the bathroom.  
  
/But where I would I go? I don't know where Buffy is. /  
  
He thought that she might still be at her house, but with a bay and all, she might've moved. But that was the only place he could think of. He reached over to the table to grab the phone, which hurt a lot less than he had expected. He slowly dialed the numbers, hoping to hear that all to familiar voice pick up at the other end of the line.  
  
Ring.  
  
Ring.  
  
"Hello?" It was a familiar voice, just not the right one.  
  
"Willow?" he said he said, only slightly surprised.  
  
"A—A—Angel? Is that you? I thought you had.. you know.."  
  
"I did. But I'm not anymore." He said, not completely knowing why he was here, and alive.  
  
"So you're.. human?" she said. She was too surprised to complete sentences together.  
  
"Yeah. Where's Buffy?" His voice was urgent. He needed to see her again, and to see his baby.  
  
"Oh, she moved out a few weeks ago. She and Manning.." her voice trailed off, realizing what she has said.  
  
/Manning? Who is Manning? Maybe it's her boyfriend. I mean, did I expect her to stick around and remain celibate in memory of me? Be real, Angel. Look how long it took her to start sleeping with the farm boy. /  
  
Angel cringed at the thought of Riley. He hadn't like him from the beginning, but then he would probably never like anyone who was with Buffy. He had been jealous of Xander, for God's Sake.  
  
"Manning's Buffy's son," Willow said, thinking what he might be thinking, " Your son, you and Buffy's son."  
  
Relief spread through Angel. He couldn't help but to be jealous and possessive. /It's not like we were actually 'together,' though. / But Manning was his son, his baby.  
  
"Where is she?" Angel needed to find her, to see his son and his love again.  
  
"She's in LA. Where are you?"  
  
/LA. She's here. Right here. /  
  
"LA."  
  
"Oh." Willow had a feeling of what was probably in the future. There would be some major catching-up smoochies after she got over the human factor. And then there would be the human factor. A lot of it.  
  
Willow gave Angel Buffy's new address and phone number without asking any further questions. Angel was never much of a talker, so she doubted that he would say that much. And that was even if he knew anything. Which was probably a negative, since he didn't the last time he came back. But when he did, it was a rather rude awakening.. .  
  
****************  
  
Four Days Later  
  
****************  
  
Angel slipped out of his room, still fully clad in hospital garb. In less than a week, Angel had become almost a fully functioning person. The walking and talking bit he had gotten down. The hospital food wasn't exactly his idea of a first meal back, but it had helped him get better. It had to have been a lot better than whatever they had fed him through an IV or tube or something.  
  
Clutching the address Willow had given him in one hand, Angel slowly opened the door to the male doctor's locker room. After dressing himself in some clothes he had found (not stole, exactly), he headed out onto the streets of LA. He was forced to walk around, looking for the address, since he had no money for a cab. /Should've grabbed some cash out of there, too. / LA hadn't really changed that much in three years. Some stores had changed, but nothing really substantial.  
  
Angel finally found the small, white, house. There was a picture window in the front, and the light was on inside. Angel slowly walked up and peered inside. The TV was on, but it wasn't being watched. Buffy was lying on the couch, asleep. She had a small smile spread across her lips.  
  
/She must be having a good dream. /  
  
Lying on top of her was a little boy who was also asleep. He had dark brown hair, which was sticking up at every odd angle imaginable. It was Angel's first glimpse of his son.  
  
/He can't be my son. My hair is way better than that. /  
  
TBC.. .. .. 


	8. Returning to Love

Title: Returning to Love  
  
Chapter: 7  
  
Story: Better Than Heaven, a sequel to 'Unforgivable Mistake.'  
  
Email: angel_chic101@hotmail.com  
  
My Fanfic Site: http://expage.com/page/baff  
  
FEEDBACK: I'm sort of becoming co-dependent, so if I don't get any feedback, I think bad things may happen. C'mon, it doesn't take that long!  
  
  
  
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"Leave me alone! Get away from me!" Buffy yelled, but the leprechauns wouldn't move. They just stood there, guarding the freezer.  
  
"Shoo! I want my ice-cream! Don't you guys have some gold to play with or something?" Buffy let out  
  
an exasperated sigh. The ice-cream gods were frowning upon her today. The leprechauns continued to  
  
snicker at her. /And I was so sure they didn't exist. /   
  
Buffy's all-too-interesting dream was soon interrupted by the rapping at the door. She quickly glanced from the small child sprawled across her lap to the VCR clock, which illuminated 11:43. They must've dozed off.  
  
/Oh God. I probably look all icky and bed-head-y. Who could it be now, anyway? Cordy probably. / She gently lifted her son off of her lap and carried him to his room. After quickly lying him in bed, she went to get the door, somewhat hoping whoever had knocked was now gone. A second set of knocks on the door erased that notion. She made a lazy attempt to flatten the blonde mop on top of her head, and twisted the deadbolt. She sluggishly opened the door, while still trying to rub her eyes into focus.  
  
After looking at the figure before her, she rubbed her eyes again more vigorously, because she had to be seeing things. It couldn't be him. He was dead. He had been dead for over three years.  
  
She gave her head a shake and blinked quickly, and then stared again at him.  
  
"A.. A..Angel?" She said in utter shock.  
  
"Buffy." Her name felt so comforting to say. Just to look at her face to face again.  
  
She opened the door wider to let him in. He walked in, uninvited, wringing his hands. She has so many questions to ask him, but she couldn't seem to put them into words. She was almost afraid to reach out and touch him, because he might not be real.  
  
She razed her gaze to his chocolate eyes. They were so familiar, but they were different now. They seemed to have more life, more of a spark to them. She could feel tingles running through her body just being around him. She knew then that it really was him, because no one else could make her feel like that.  
  
"Angel.. ..I thought you.. .. I mean .. .. you" she fumbled.  
  
He carefully placed a finger over her lips, silencing her. They stood there for a few moments, immersing themselves in each other, without moving a muscle.  
  
After a while, though, Buffy couldn't take the aphrodisiatic tension anymore. She reached up and wrapped her arms round his neck, pulling him as close to her as possible. She could feel a heart beat, but she wasn't sure if it was hers or his. She never wanted to let him go. She had lost him too many times already. The years without him made her realize how much better life was with him.  
  
Angel tightly intertwined his arms around her waist. He had missed that feeling for so long. He didn't really know why he was back, and he didn't really care. He lowered his lips to meet hers, like he had done so many times before. The kiss they shared was slow and tender, not rushed or hurried. After a while, though, Angel had to draw back to catch his breath, something he wasn't used to. Buffy rested her head tightly into her shoulder, soaking in every moment of Angelic goodness.  
  
  
  
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A Week Later  
  
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It had been a week. A whole, wonderful, glorious week. Buffy wasn't sure if she had ever had a better week before. Angel's unexpected return had changed her life, in a very, very good way. A very human way.  
  
The first thing she had done was introduced him to Manning. He took to Angel immediately, like he had already known that he was his daddy. Watching the two of them interact was a joy that Buffy never thought she would experience. Just watching them together was almost better than her new found sex life. Almost. She had called Willow and Dawn at home to tell them the news, but they had already known. Willow hadn't told her yet, though, because she thought it would be better if he surprised her. Willow and Buffy giggled through the whole conversation like little girls. Dawn was a little less enthused. She remembered all of the pain he had put Buffy through, even if she hadn't completely understood it at the time. But Buffy seemed happy, and that was all that Dawn wanted.  
  
The second task at hand, though, was a little more difficult. Buffy insisted on taking Angel shopping to get some clothes and other things, since all he had was what he had stolen from the hospital. Angel didn't really see what the need for clothes was (or even getting out of bed for that matter, besides taking Manning to preschool), but Buffy insisted. So he went to the mall, against his better judgement, and bought some a new wardrobe. She had tried to talk him into going to the tanning bed "People are going to see you now, and you're so pale!", but he drew the line there. He knew, though, that if she was really serious about it, he would've given in, eventually.  
  
With Angel living with her now, Buffy had almost forgotten about Riley, until a very disgruntled Angel came home after picking up Manning from preschool.  
  
After leaving Manning in his room to play, Angel confronted Buffy in the kitchen.  
  
"When were you going to tell me you were seeing Riley again?" Angel asked with an edge to his voice.  
  
"What are you talking about?" She responded, surprised at what he had just said.  
  
"I went to pick up my son from preschool and he was there. He asked me who I was, like he didn't know who I was or something, and I told him I was Manning's father. He said 'Oh, said on our date that his father was dead.' On OUR date?" Angel was almost in a jealous rage now. How could she have not told him she was still sleeping with that moron?  
  
"Angel, calm down." She gently unwrapped the fists he had made and placed her hands in his. "I'm not seeing Riley. He had lost his memory, and I went to dinner with him to see what he could remember." She soothed.  
  
"So you DID go on a date with him, though?"  
  
"Yes, I did. Angel, I thought you were dead." She said defensively. "But if it makes you feel any better, it was horrible." She cupped his face with her hands and pulled his eyes into hers. "Horrible" she repeated softly. Angel's rage subsided with his jealousy. She was still all his, and he would never ever leave her again.  
  
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A/N: OK, the dream sequence might be a little odd, but it will make more sense later. Come Full Circle.  
  
angel_chic101@hotmail.com  
  
http://expage.com/page/baff 


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